Starter jaw meshing device



April 1952 R. E. SEARS ETAL 2,595,004

STARTER JAW MESHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Ti li;

' INVENTORS RICHARD E. SEARS BY ANTHONY F. KARLIN ATTORNEY April 29, 1952 R. E. SEARS ETAL 2,595,004

STARTER JAW MESHING DEVICE Filed Oct- 14, 1950 2 SHEETSSl-IEET 2 INVENTORS RICHARD E. SEARS BY ANTHONY F. KARLIN ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1952 STARTER J AW MESHIN G DEVICE RichardE. -S ears,-"Cleveland Heights, and Anthony F. Karlin, Bedford, Ohio, 'assignors to Jack '& Heintz Precision Industries, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application October 14, 1950, Serial No. 190,104

'6 Claims.

This invention relates in general to engine starters and more particularly to improvements in means for meshing the starter jaw with the enginejaw.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide such a jaw meshing device that will insure a smooth positively locked engagement of the complementary jaws of the starter and the engine and avoid end abutment of the teeth of the jaws and resulting chattering without full drive engagement.

Another object is to provide such'a device that will insure such' proper mesh before full rotational power is applied by the starter motor to the starterjaw.

Another object is to provide such a device that A further object is to provide such a device with means for normally frictional-1y holding the starter jaw stationary but which automatically releases the friction lock on the starter jaw only upon full extension of thestarter jaw into mesh with the engine jaw and upon the full drive engagement of the lost motion drive with the starter aw.

With the foregoing and otherobjects in View, the invention resides inthe combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter set forth in the following specification and appended claims, certain embodiments thereof beingil-lustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in'sideelevation and partly in longitudinal section of the starter, showing the starter jaw fully retracted and out of mesh with the engine jaw;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, showing the starter jaw extended short of full mesh with theengine jaw; the starterjaw being irictionally held against rotation by the ramped clamp ring "assembly; the starter jaw cam being rotated by the driving barrel to linearly extend the starter jaw prior to rotational driving engagement of the barrel with the starter jaw.

Figure 3 is a similar view, showing the jaws fully meshed; the simultaneous c'irivingengagement of the barrel with the starter jawand its cam and the release of theirictio'n 'clampring assembly from the 'sta-rterjaw and Figures is'a view in perspective-partly broken away, of the split friction clamp ring, its stationary holder and the pin between the clamp ring ends to prevent rotation of the ring.

Referringmore particularly to the drawings, the engine starter includes the usual casing. I for housing an electric motor 2 having an output shaft 3 carried in bearings 4 and terminating in a sun gear 5. Sun gear 5 meshes With planetary gears, such as 6, which engage the usual friction plate torque release I. The planetary gears 6 are rotatably mounted on stub shafts 8 that are carried by the planetary gear carrier 9, which latter has a forwardly extending internally splined driving barrel I0.

In Figure 1, the starter jaw .I I is fully retracted within the starter and completely out of mesh with 'the'engine. jaw I2. Secured to the starter casing is a circular ring I3 having radially depending fianges It. This ring I3 constitutes a holder for a'split spring metal clamping ring I5. Azpin I6 extending through holder I3 also extends between the ends of the split clamp ring 'I5 Zto' preventrotation of ring I5 in stationary holder l3. The inner surface of clamp ring I5 is inclined angularly radially inwardly, from right to left as viewed in Figures 1, 2 and 3 to form a ramp IT and the outer surface ofa portion of the head of the starter jaw I I is similarlyinclined to form a complementary ramp I8. When the starter jaw is in fully retracted position, as shown in Figure 1, the starter jaw ramp I8 in riding inwardly on the full length of the clamp ring ramp IT has compressed the spring clamp ring I5 softhat the latter exerts a clamping action on the starter jaw to prevent its rotation.

Now, as previously stated, themain objective is to insure full jaw mesh before fullstarter jaw drive. This is done without the necessity for solenoid actuated starter jaw extension devices. The internal. splines of the planet carrier barrel Iflmesh with relatively no lost motion with ext-ern a-l splines 19 of a cam 25. The starter jaw has external splines 2|, that are considerably smaller in width than cam splines I9, but which splines 2| mesh, with lost motion, with the relatively wider internal splines of driving barrel Iii. Cam 2!) is free of attachment with starter jaw I I but is spring urged into end engagement therewith.' Cam 20 is provided with ramped axially extending prongs 22 which bear against the pronged extensions ofsplines of the starter jaw.

Mlhen the itsshaft 3, through the planet" system, regulated by the torque release, and through thedr'iving electric lTlOtO'i' is started; "thegrlveof barrel l initially rotates cam 20. During this stage of operation, the barrel splines are engaged with the smaller starter jaw splines 2|, and clamp I5 is frictionally clamping the starter jaw against rotation. The effect of the rotation of cam 20 is to have its ramped prongs 22 ride up on the pronged extensions of starter jaw splines 2| to force the starter jaw linearly outwardly, without rotation, toward and into partial mesh with engine jaw l2, as shown in Figure 2.

Further rotation of cam 20 by driving barrel In simultaneously brings about three results, namely full starter jaw extension into full mesh with the engine jaw; disengagement of clamp ring [5 from effective clamping action on the starter jaw; and full rotational driving mesh of the barrel internal splines with the smaller external splines of the starter jaw.

Thus the cam, and the lost motion drive between the barrel and the starter jaw, have served their useful purposes in linearly extending the starter jaw into mesh with the engine jaw prior to rotational drive of starter jaw by the driving barrel. Moreover, the friction clamp ring has simultaneously served its useful purpose in clamping the starter jaw against rotation until this mesh has been accomplished by the starter jaw cam.

Thus, it will be seen that there has been provided a new and novel improved and foolproof starter jaw extension, meshing and driving means, which utilizes the motor shaft drive and which eliminates the necessity of complicated electrical time delay accessories, such'as extra switches or solenoids, or the like.

We claim:

1. In combination in an engine starter, a casing, an electrical rotary driving motor, a starter jaw and an engine jaw, a barrel driven by said motor, said starter jaw being adapted to be driven, with lost motion, by said barrel, said starter jaw having a body with spaced inner end members extending into said barrel, a cam member mounted in said barrel coaxially with said starter jaw and adapted to be driven by said barrel without lost motion, said cam member having cam means adapted, upon rotation of said cam by said barrel, prior to the rotation by the latter of said starter jaw, to engage said jaw body end members to linearly extend said starter jaw into full mesh with said engine jaw'prior to full rotative drive of said starter jaw by said barrel and means for clamping said starter jaw against rotation prior to full jaw mesh.

2. In combination in an engine starter, 2. casing, an electrical rotary driving motor, a starter jaw and an engine jaw, a barrel driven by said motor, said starter jaw being adapted to be driven, with lost motion, by said barrel, said starter jaw having a body with spaced inner end members extending into said barrel, a cam member mounted in said barrel coaxially with said starter jaw and adapted to be driven by said barrel without lost motion, said cam member having cam means adapted, upon rotation of said cam by said barrel, prior to the rotation by the latter of said starter jaw, to linearly extend said starter jaw into full mesh with said engine jaw prior to full rotative drive of said starter jaw by said barrel and friction means for frictionally clamping said starter jaw against rotation prior to full jaw mesh, said friction means being adapted to automatically-release said friction clamp upon tionary channeled ring carried by said casing, a split spring metal ring carried by said channeled ring and secured thereto against relative rotation, the inner surface of said split ring and the outer surface of the head of said starter jaw having complementary inclined ramps to compress said split ring into clamping relationship with said starter jaw when retracted and partially extended and to release said starter jaw from said friction clamping engagement after said starter jaw is fully extended into mesh with said engine jaw.

3. In combination in an engine starter, a casing, an electrical rotary driving motor, a starter jaw and an engine jaw, an internally splined barrel driven by said motor, said starter jaw having external splines to mate, with lost motion, with the splines of said barrel, a cam mounted in said barrel coaxially with said starter jaw and having external splines to mate directly with those of said barrel without lost motion, said cam member having cam means adapted, upon rotation of said cam by said barrel, prior to the rotation by the latter of said starter jaw, to linearly extend said starter jaw into full mesh with said engine jaw prior to full rotative drive of said starter jaw by said barrel and friction means for frictionally clamping said starter jaw against rotation prior to full jaw mesh, said friction means being adapted to automatically release said friction clamp upon said starter jaw .upon full mesh thereof with said engine jaw, said friction means comprising a stationary channeled ring carried by said casing, a split spring metal ring carried by said channeled ring and secured thereto against relative rotation, the inner surface of said split ring and the outer surface of the head of said starter jaw having complementary inclined ramps to compress said split ring into clamping relationship with said starter jaw when retracted and partially extended and to release said starter jaw from said friction clamping engagement after said starter jaw is fully extended into mesh with said engine jaw.

4. In combination in an engine starter, a casing, an electrical rotary driving motor, a starter jaw and an engine jaw, an internally splined barsaid starter jaw upon full mesh thereof with said J rel driven by said motor, said starter jaw having external splines to mate, with lost motion, with the splines of said barrel, a cam mounted in said barrel coaxially with said starter jaw and having external splines to mate directly with those of said barrel without lost motion, said cam and starter jaw having loosely interlocking end prongs, inclined ramps on the side edges of said cam prongs adapted, upon rotation of said cam by saidbarrel, prior to the rotation by the latter of said starter jaw, to linearly extend said starter jaw into full mesh with said engine jaw prior to full rotative drive of said starter jaw by saidbarrel and means for clamping said starter jaw against rotation prior to full jaw mesh.

5. In combination in an engine starter, a casing, an electrical rotary driving motor, a starter jaw and an engine jaw, an internally splined barrel driven by said motor, said starter jaw having external splines to mate, with lost motion, with the splines of said barrel, a cam mounted in said barrel coaxially with said starter jaw and having external splines to mate directly with those of said barrelwithout lost motion, said cam and starter jaw having loosely interlocking end prongs, inclined ramps on theside edges of said cam prongs adapted, 'uponrotation of said cam by-said barrel, prior to the'rotation by the latter-of said starter jaw, to linear1y .;extend -;sald

starter jaw into full mesh with said engine jaw prior to full rotative drive of said starter jaw by said barrel and friction means for frictionally clamping said starter jaw against rotation prior to fulljaw mesh.

6. In combination in an engine starter; a casing, an electrical rotary driving motor, a starter jaw and an engine jaw, an internal y splined barrel driven by said motor, said starter jaw having external splines to mate, with lost motion, with the splines of said barrel, a cam mounted in said barrel coaxially with said starter jaw and having external splines to mate directly with those of said barrel without lost motion, said cam and starter jaw having loosely interlocking end prongs, inclined ramps on the side edges of said cam prongs adapted, upon rotation of said cam by said barrel, prior to the rotation by the latter of said starter jaw, to linearly extend said starter jaw into full mesh with said engine jaw prior to full rotative drive of said starter jaw by said barrel and friction means for frictionally clamping said starter jaw against rotation prior to full jaw mesh, said friction means being adapted to automatically release said friction clamp upon said starter jaw upon full mesh thereof with said engine jaw, said friction means comprising a stationary channeled ring carried by said casing, a split spring metal ring carried by said channeled ring and secured thereto against relative rotation, the inner surface of said split ring and the outer surface of the head of said starter jaw having complementary inclined ramps to compress said split ring into clamping relationship with said starter jaw when retracted and partially extended and to release said starter jaw from said friction clamping engagement after said starter jaw is fully extended into mesh with said engine jaw.

RICHARD E. SEARS.

ANTHONY F. KARLIN.

No references cited. 

